UK's grocery retailers pledge on prefill
Nine of the UK’s largest grocery retailers are collaborating on reusable packaging.
The retailers, with support from the UK Government and WRAP, have issued a joint Statement of Intent to explore how reusable packaging could be implemented across their stores and online.
The joint statement begins work on exploring how reusable packaging could become an interoperable system that makes it easy to shop for prefilled items in stores and online.
The announcement follows data from GoUnpackaged showing that moving to just 30% reuse could deliver huge financial and environmental benefits for the UK.
The UK Plastics Pact Grocery Retailer Statement of Intent states, ‘We, the grocery retailers of the UK (Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Lidl GB, Morrisons, Ocado Retail, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose), supported by Innovate UK, WRAP and DEFRA, DAERA, Scottish Government and Welsh Government, have a common ambition to work together to enable increased consumer adoption and participation in a circular economy by exploring how reusable packaging (with a focus on prefill) could be implemented through interoperable systems.
‘Recognising the challenges to achieving this at scale, we intend to collaborate on an approach that has the potential to deliver a reduction in single-use packaging by 2030.’
With lessons from previous localised pilots, the group will consider a more co-ordinated approach and solution where reusable packaging (prefill) is possible.
The next stage will be a September webinar for brands, manufacturers and suppliers to engage with the reuse group.
